Backpacks are ubiquitous in schools from pre-kindergarten through college, graduate school, and even occasionally in professional settings. They come in a variety of shapes colors and designs which allow people to choose a backpack that reflects their personalities or preferences. Styles range from conservative lines with muted colors to eye-catching and stylish designs that demand viewers' attention. Colors and patterns may have no specifically identifiable meaning, or designs may include specific imagery of readily-identifiable cultural phenomena. Typically, a backpack's design or appearance is unalterable, so when a user decides to choose a different style, color or appearance, a new backpack must be purchased, even if the old backpack is still in serviceable condition. This is not a problem as long as backpack styles and designs do not wear out too quickly.
However, backpacks are not immune to the pressures of the fast-paced world of fashion and rapidly changing trends, especially among children and teenagers where the latest video game, pop star, or blockbuster movie might change from month to month. This presents a problem for backpacks, which are fairly durable and can last years or longer before requiring replacement. When it's difficult to tell whether Hannah Montana will still be popular six months from now, one becomes hesitant to purchase a backpack with such a specific and uncertain future social appeal. The risk of embarrassment, when the wave subsides and you're stuck publicly proclaiming your undying affection for Hannah when everyone else has moved on, is just too great. Thus backpacks which have designs and decorations that have broad appeal and don't tie themselves too closely to current trends, became a moderately fashionable, but still safe bet for a purchase that will last into the foreseeable future.
One solution to this problem is to just purchase whatever backpack you want and then purchase a new one if it goes out of style. This unnecessarily produces waste and excess cost which could be avoided if a backpack's unique appearance, which may be focused on a particular celebrity or a summer blockbuster movie theme, could be changed. The present invention seeks to provide a way for backpack and/or lunch box users to change the appearance of their backpacks and/or lunch boxes without having to purchase an entirely new bag. In the case of a backpack, this is done through an interchangeable decorative flap accessory that attaches to the top end of the backpack and hangs down over the front. For the lunchbox, a decorative panel attaches to the lunch box to the front on the left, bottom, and right sides, conveniently forming a functional pocket. The decorative flap accessory can be printed or otherwise decorated with any image or design. For users that want a more conservative look, the flap can be removed entirely from the backpack and the attachment means can be concealed for a clean inoffensive appearance.
In addition, lunch boxes are subject to the very same fashion forces as backpacks, and those that need backpacks often need lunch boxes as well. Lunch boxes also tend to take up a large amount of space in a backpack, leaving less room for books and folders. The present invention also seeks to provide and interchangeable decorative panel for lunch boxes and a way to attach a lunch box to the outside of the backpack, freeing up space inside. The decorative lunch box panel may match the backpack flap or compliment it with a different design or image that matches the theme of the backpack flap.